Puppy Doe bill passes, heads to Gov. Patrick's desk

A bill that would toughen the state's animal cruelty laws has been approved by the state Legislature and is headed to the desk of Gov. Deval Patrick.

Patrick Ronan

A bill that would toughen the state’s animal cruelty laws has been approved by the state Legislature and is headed to the desk of Gov. Deval Patrick.

Patrick has 10 days to sign the bill, and if he signs it, the new policies would go into effect 90 days later.

“I’m very excited and pleased about this outcome,” state Rep. Bruce Ayers, D-Quincy, said shortly after both chambers adopted the bill Thursday.

He added: “Thanks to all the hard work of the legislators involved with this bill and all the animal-welfare supporters in the state of Massachusetts, we will now have a law in place that strengthens our ability to prevent cruelty and this will dramatically improve the welfare of animals in Massachusetts.”

The bill, inspired by the story of Puppy Doe, the name given to the pit bull that was brutally abused in Quincy last year, would increase the maximum prison sentence for one count of animal cruelty from five years to seven years and the maximum fine from $2,500 to $5,000. For repeat offenders, the maximum prison sentence would rise to 10 years and the fine to $10,000.

Supporters of the bill said the state’s animal cruelty fines have been among the most lenient in the state, and Ayers said it’s been 10 years since the laws were last updated.

The bill, originally named Protecting Animal Welfare and Safety Act, or the PAWS Act, and filed by state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, would also require veterinarians to report any suspicions of abuse they see during their observations of animals, and it would create a task force that would look at ways to strengthen animal protection laws.

“We’re very pleased that this crucial legislation has passed, and we extend our thanks to all of the bill’s sponsors and supporters who championed these reforms,” Kara Holmquist, director of advocacy for the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals-Angell Animal Medical Center, said in a prepared statement.

“Animal lovers around the state can today celebrate these efforts,” she added, “and hopefully can find some peace knowing that from such tragic incidents, like Puppy Doe and others, awareness has been generated that will now prevent harm to other helpless animals.”

Puppy Doe’s story attracted worldwide attention last year after the brutally abused dog was found abandoned on Carroll's Lane near Quincy Medical Center. The dog’s injuries were so severe that she had to be euthanized.

Quincy police later arrested Radoslaw Czerkawski for allegedly torturing Puppy Doe and stealing from an elderly woman with dementia at her home on Whitwell Street. Czerkawski, a Polish national, has pleaded innocent in Dedham Superior Court to 12 counts of animal cruelty.

The new sentencing guidelines and fines, if approved by Gov. Patrick, won’t apply to Czerkawski because he was charged prior to the law taking effect.